Ladies of the night

Samantha Morton and Lesley Manville are warring brothel madams in a racy period drama

DRAMA

Harlots Wed, BBC2 HD, 9pm & 9.50pm

Set on the grimy streets of 18th-century London, BBC2’s raunchy eight-part costume drama Harlots (originally shown on ITV Encore in 2017) centers on the intense rivalry between two brothel madams.

Samantha Morton (The Walking Dead) plays Margaret Wells, who’s desperate to elevate her down-at-heel establishment, while Mum’s Lesley Manville is Margaret’s ruthless rival, Lydia Quigley, who has amassed riches running the high-class House of Earthly Delights.

Their rivalry stems from a dark past, which slowly emerges through the series and which draws in everyone around them in a tale of lust, betrayal, shifting allegiances, and revenge.